Sandbagging 'not an option' in Jerez

Renault's deputy managing director Rob White believes the new technical regulations mean there will be no chance for teams to 'sandbag' at Jerez this week.

In previous seasons teams such as Red Bull have been accused of manipulating testing speed or running an overweight car to disguise their true form ahead of the opening race. But the new engine regulations have left everything up in the air ahead of the 2014 campaign.

White feels that most teams will not be in a position to risk such a tactic when pre-season testing begins in Jerez on Tuesday, such is the lack of certainty around the new turbo engines.

"At the beginning there will be a rapidly shifting situation," White told Autosport.

"I don't think it will be possible to evaluate performance in a week's time, at the end of the
Jerez test, and certainly the season needs time to settle down before anyone can take a view."

"When everybody is more or less in same place, at more or less the same time doing more or less the same thing there will be straightaway some signs about whether there are small problems that have been disruptive, or big problems that are extremely difficult to tackle, or whether it is a more controlled situation and things are running smoothly.

"In terms of the outright performance of the different cars and teams, I think getting a true picture of the starting point of everybody will be quite difficult.

"And probably it is not that interesting as it is inevitable that the learning rate will be very steep and the starting point is probably less predictive than it would normally be.